Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 226 Bloodbath (Part 1)

Those who defend a city naturally have the advantage of geographical location.

Pei Qinghe fired the first arrow, and all the archers followed suit. The arrows rained down, causing the Xiongnu barbarians at the forefront to fall to their deaths.

The Xiongnu barbarians retaliated with a flurry of arrows. However, it was no easy feat for the lower ranks to overpower the upper ranks. Many of the arrows either struck the city walls or fell to the ground. Very few posed a real threat to the Pei family army.

Pei Qinghe had specially worn soft armor and a helmet today to protect her vital areas. She fired arrows incessantly, each one hitting its mark.

The Xiongnu general overseeing the battle below the city frowned.

This Xiongnu barbarian, named Wuyan, was the most valiant general under the Xiongnu Khan.

Wuyan was a skilled archer among the Xiongnu barbarians, arrogant and disdainful of Jingchao's army. After all, in recent years, the Xiongnu barbarians had never encountered a true opponent when raiding the pass. Only the Beiping army was somewhat formidable; the rest of the army was like clay chickens and earthen dogs, utterly unable to withstand the iron hooves of the Xiongnu army.

This time, Wuyan volunteered to lead the troops, splitting into two groups with another Xiongnu general. Before setting out, they even made a bet to see who could bring back more money, food, and women.

Unexpectedly, their period of unbridled revelry was short-lived, as they were soon lured into a trap and subjected to a series of ambushes. The Xiongnu army suffered an unprecedented defeat, inflicting heavy casualties.

Enraged, Wu Yan launched a fierce attack for several days, resulting in casualties on both sides. Today, before the battle, Wu Yan vowed to capture Guangning County. He promised his warriors that after the city fell, they could plunder and enjoy the spoils for three days.

The Xiongnu warriors, their fighting spirit ignited, charged into the city with great momentum. Little did they expect that they would be overwhelmed from the very beginning by the enemy's sharp arrows.

"Who is that archer on the city wall?" Wu Yan asked in a deep voice.

The guards around him couldn't answer, so they simply brought over a few prisoners.

These prisoners were soldiers from the vanguard battalion sent by the Guangning army a few days ago. They fought desperately to lure the enemy deeper into their territory. About ten escaped, while dozens more were captured alive. In the past few days, the battle had not gone smoothly, and Wuyan killed several prisoners every day, cooked them in a large iron pot, and made the Xiongnu warriors share the food.

Several prisoners were pale and trembling. One of them had water dripping from his crotch.

One of the guards, who spoke Mandarin, asked in a broken and awkward tone, "Who is the archer on the city wall?"

The prisoners were starving and dizzy, unable to see the distant city walls clearly. One hesitated and remained silent, and was immediately killed.

Knowing they were unlikely to survive, the remaining prisoners charged forward with renewed vigor, spewing profanities and curses. Wu Yan, who understood a little Chinese, sneered, waved his hand, and ordered all the prisoners to be killed.

"No matter who this person is, he's dead today!"

From a distance, the figure on the city wall was indistinct. Wu Yan never expected that the other party was a woman. He continued to issue military orders, commanding the Xiongnu warriors to attack the city.

Arrows rained down on the enemy, and catapults were also deployed. However, the enemy held a firm advantage on the fortified city walls. The Xiongnu warriors lost their lives in vain.

The painstakingly constructed siege ladders were pushed to the city gate. The Xiongnu warriors shouted as they climbed the ladders and leaped onto the city walls. Death and injury were frequent during this process. Unfortunately, once on the walls, they soon fell silent. Corpses, however, continued to be thrown down.

"General, the defenses are exceptionally strong today." The guard lowered his voice, afraid of disturbing the morale of the troops: "Our warriors cannot be sent to their deaths in vain."

With his extensive combat experience, how could Wu Yan not see it?
However, retreating halfway would severely damage morale.

Wu Yan's face darkened, his expression grim: "Continue beating the drums to attack the city. We must break through today!"

The guards dared not disobey and had no choice but to continue beating the war drums.

The Pei family army defending the city was also facing immense pressure. Formed only three years prior, most of its members were ordinary people who had fled their homes to survive, becoming refugees. They joined the Pei family army for food. The Pei family army was known for its rigorous daily training; those who could endure it were truly excellent soldiers. Against the Fanyang army, needless to say, the Fanyang army was a piece of cake. Even against the Guangning army, the Pei family army showed no fear.

But the Xiongnu barbarians were exceptionally ferocious. Those who stormed the city walls grinned maliciously as they raised their scimitars, killing with remarkable speed and efficiency. The disadvantages of the Pei family army were immediately apparent: they had little experience in battle, little bloodshed, and were not as skilled as the Xiongnu barbarians.

They formed a five-man formation, leaning back to each other to defend against the enemy.

People around them were constantly being wounded or dying, blood flowing freely, limbs and remains littering the ground. They endured their fear, desperately swinging their knives. Every now and then, they would glance at Pei Qinghe, who stood at the forefront.

His figure, though not particularly tall, stood firmly on the city wall, as solid as if cast in iron. He brandished his long sword, relentlessly reaping the heads of the Xiongnu barbarians.

As long as the general is here, victory will surely belong to the Pei family army!
A surge of courage rose in everyone's hearts, and their aching arms regained their strength.

kill!

Kill all these brutal invaders!
Pei Xuan's small face was covered in blood. She wasn't tall, but she was exceptionally agile. When fighting the Xiongnu barbarians, her long sword went straight for their groin.

Pei Feng fought valiantly, killing a Xiongnu barbarian, his blood splattering onto his face. He kept a straight face, suppressing his nausea, and continued wielding his sword.

While fighting, Pei Qinghe glanced at the overall situation out of the corner of her eye and said, "Pei Feng, step back and rest for a moment."

Pei Feng didn't try to be brave. He took a few steps back, quickly climbed down the city wall, and vomited all over. After drinking some water, he climbed back up the city wall.

Pei Xuan didn't tease him; instead, she kept looking over. Clearly, she was worried about Pei Feng.

Pei Feng gritted his teeth and swung his knife.

Qinghe, the eldest cousin, held up the Pei family and built the Pei family army. His cousins ​​and their wives were all brave and capable. As the eldest male in the Pei family, he couldn't let them down. He would lead his younger cousins ​​into battle, showing everyone that the women of the Pei family were powerful, and the men were just as formidable.

After a day of fierce fighting, Pei Feng had no idea how many people he had killed.

The Xiongnu barbarians finally withdrew their troops.

Pei Feng used his long sword to prop himself up and prevent himself from falling.

Pei Xuan's expression changed: "Pei Feng, your leg is injured!"

Due to excessive blood loss, Pei Feng felt dizzy and couldn't even feel the pain from his leg injury. He gave a somewhat dull "oh."

Pei Qinghe strode over, made Pei Feng lie down, and tore open his blood-stained clothes with both hands, revealing his bloody wounds.

Pei Qinghe pursed her lips and moved swiftly, applying hemostatic medicine and wrapping the bandage several times.

Pei Feng only then felt the pain.

His lips trembled as he whispered, "Cousin Qinghe, how did I do today? I didn't embarrass the Pei family, did I?"

A glint of tears welled up in Pei Qinghe's eyes, but her voice remained steady: "You did a great job today! You've brought honor to the Pei family!"

Pei Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief and fainted without worry.

(End of this chapter)